“In retrospect, we wished we had slowed down a bit and paid more attention. Also, we’re directionally challenged,” Beth said by phone from New York, where they watched Sunday’s finale. While they would have loved to take home the $1 million prize, they’re proud to have finished. “And we were in every episode!”

They fly back to Colorado today and, in case life gets boring, said they can always run through DIA as if still in competition. Filmming was completed in December and they’ve been keeping the secret.

“It’s been a bit of a letdown,” after quite a surreal year, Beth said. When acquaintances ask how it feels to be a celebrity, she has a ready answer: “I’m still cleaning my own toilet.”

Two competitive, fit, multitasking moms who are veterans of the tough roller derby circuit, will represent Colorado as contenders on “The Amazing Race” this season when the 22nd edition of the reality TV show premieres Sunday, locally at 7 p.m. on Channel 4.

Mona Egender, 33, of Castle Pines, a sixth-generation Colorado native, has been competing in roller derby for three and a half years. She graduated CU with a degree in communications/marketing in 2000 and has three kids (ages 14, 9 and 7). Worst roller derby injury: a broken ankle in 2012. “I have a plate and eight screws” in her right ankle. She figures she has a couple of years of derby left in her. Being a mom is the best preparation for “The Amazing Race” since “you have to be on 24/7, whether it’s puke in the middle of the night or a bad grade.”

Beth Bandimere, 36, of Arvada, a fourth-generation Colorado native, has been in roller derby for seven years. She attended CSU in Pueblo and CU-Denver and has three kids (15, 12 and 9). Worst derby injury: separated shoulder. “Roller derby allows us to take our aggression out on the track instead of our husbands or children. It’s like hockey, but with less clothing.” She keeps retiring from roller derby and coming back. Being in roller derby is great training for “The Amazing Race” since “our whole relationship is based on competition, we’re used to high stress.”

Both say Ibuprofen is a derby girl’s best friend. Also arnica, to hide the bruises. Besides their shot at the $1 million on “The Amazing Race,” the girls have an upcoming appearance at the Fillmore Auditorium on April 6, Rocky Mountain Roller Girls when they’ll compete against one another. Meanwhile, viewers can catch them skydiving in Bora Bora, building sand castles on a beach, and occasionally sniping at one another on national TV.

Per the network, this season’s “Amazing Race” teams will travel more than 30,000 miles, over five continents and through nine countries as they skydive from 10,000 feet in Bora Bora, participate in a Shemozzle (dog and shepherd) race in New Zealand, hunt for scorpions with the Bushmen of Botswana and scale the treacherous north face of the Eiger Mountain in Switzerland.

Denver area roller derby moms Mona Egender, 33 from Castle Pines, and Beth Bandimere, 36, from Arvada will represent on “The Amazing Race” when it launches its 22nd go-round on Feb. 17. They skate for Rocky Mountain Rollergirls (RMRG) elite travel team as Fiona Grapple (Bandimere) and Triple Shot Misto (Egender). They also skate against each other: Egender, #7423, skates with the United States Pummeling Service, and Bandimere, #31, skates with the Sugar Kill Gang. Check ’em out online.

A CBS release lists Engender’s occupation as captioner/roller derby player, and Bandimere’s as tech support/roller derby player. “Teams will travel more than 30,000 miles, over five continents and through nine countries as they skydive from 10,000 feet in Bora Bora, participate in a Shemozzle race in New Zealand, hunt for scorpions with the Bushmen of Botswana and scale the treacherous north face of the Eiger Mountain in Switzerland.”

Joanne Ostrow has been watching TV since before "reality" required quotation marks. "Hill Street Blues" was life-changing. If Dickens, Twain or Agatha Christie were alive today, they'd be writing for television. And proud of it.